Strong, Fun, Beautiful, Gorgeous
by GhostWriterByTheSea
Summary: The growth of Bolin and Korra's relationship from when she started dating Mako and eventually breaking up with him, to the struggles between Bolin and Korra when they began dating and their eventual marriage. They have come a long way, but sometimes, love pays a heavy price.


Acceptance. It was something I had trouble grasping. She was the woman I loved. I lost her too early. I couldn't bear to see her go. Not with him. It was too painful to see them together. Even after everything I did for her, I still came up short. Emotionally, there was a perfect connection. Physically, our faces glowed at the sight of each other since the day we first met.

Korra was a fighter. Even in the most dangerous of situations, she would still risk her life to keep the peace. That was her duty as the Avatar. It remained her top priority, Mako came to a close second. Of course, Mako understood since he had also risked his life for her sake. We all did. Yet, in my mind, guilty thoughts continued to linger.

For the first few weeks, I avoided any decent contact with her or Mako. Not even a simple "yes or no" question was left answered by either one of them. It frustrated Mako to the point where he almost punched me in the face. Thankfully, Korra was there to stop him. She looked at me with those guilty eyes of hers before looking back at Mako.

"Give him some time," she said before they left me alone to contemplate my feelings. Asami was the first one to offer me any kind of comfort. She approached me one day as I was practicing. Being the nice guy I was, I took a break and offered her a chair next to me. She agreed and took a moment before meeting my eyes to speak about Mako and Korra's relationship.

"Bolin, I understand how upset you are. As questionable as the relationship may be, we should be happy that Korra's happy."

I could tell from the twinge in her eye that it was painful for her, too. She loved my brother. How could he not love her back? How could Korra not love me back? It just didn't make any sense to me. However, part of me is telling me to let go. It didn't seem like the right place or time, though. Asami didn't look like she was ready to let go, either. We were both heartbroken with only each other to console in.

"You're right," I half lied. "I just feel left out on what I had with Korra, friendship-wise. After all, that's all she may ever see me as."

"Don't think so negatively of yourself, Bolin," Asami replied with a frown. "Korra's a good person. Even if you two aren't dating, you and I are still a part of her team. That should be the only thing that matters right now."

I straightened myself and she looked up at me in concern. "Just remember that the team is special to Korra. You are a part of that team. That should mean something to you."

I quietly thanked her before watching her leave. I continued thinking about Asami's words as I practiced. Every punch I threw became stronger as I thought about Korra. She was the one who admired mine and Mako's probending skills. She was our biggest fan. After that, the Fire Ferrets were down to just me and Pabu. Korra and Mako were on a date that night. I punched harder, thinking about the time Korra and I went on a date. Those loving eyes I made at her, but she didn't notice. The laughs we shared, but she didn't see it as a "connection". What went wrong? Why couldn't she notice my feelings? Am I not worthy of any form of affections from her because I'm not as attractice as my brother?

I stopped myself the moment I saw the large hole in the wall. My frustrations were getting the best of me. That day was when all of my feelings were brutally cut like a knife. I sat back on the bench and shook my head furiously in denial. I sniffled and stared up at the ceiling.

"What went wrong?" I croaked before lowering my head and sobbing.

Before the confrontation between Korra and Amon, she confronted me about her fears. Everyone else was asleep and Korra came into my room, rubbing her arms vigorously, as if she were cold. I let her sit next to me on the bed. I watched her eyes soften the moment she looked at me.

"Bolin, I'm scared. What if I'm not good enough to defeat Amon?"

The term "fear" could be interpreted in different ways. In Korra's case, "fear" meant "bravery". Amon was a tough opponent. He had seen her overconfidence as she spoke in front of thousands in Republic City, challening him to a one-on-one confrontation. She had seen him take away people's bending using only his thumb. At the same time, it was only the matter of who had the upper hand.

She took my hand, which made me flinch slightly. Even if it was the middle of the night, I easily recognized the bright red hues lightening her cheeks. I slowly parted my lips and spoke to her softly.

"Korra, it's okay. You may be the Avatar, but you're still human. Fear is a human emotion. You just..." I was having trouble keeping my composure at this point. I was scared for her. I didn't want to see her get hurt. Korra was strong, but Amon knew her weakness. He could have used it against her. I carefully cupped Korra's face, smiling warmly and lovingly to her as my way of keeping her calm.

"You just need to have faith," I finally said before pressing my lips against her soft cheek. She placed her hand over my hand, quietly thanking me as she shut her eyes for the rest of the night.


End file.
